“Kiss-In” Planned at Embarcadero’s Unconditional Surrender Statue

Local photographer Michael Realpeople's plans to stage a "kiss-in" at the Unconditional Surrender statue near the U.S.S. Midway Museum is meeting some resistance. A Facebook event page announces the photographer’s plan to honor the tourist attraction before the Port District removes it later this month.

Realpeople intends to capture a black-and-white image "that will remain in history for all to remember," reads the Facebook page. Realpeople says he expects “100++ couples” and TV news people to show up at the Embarcadero on Saturday, February 18, from 8:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.

However, according to Realpeople, “the SD Port Authority is NOT ok with my plans for a ‘goodbye’ photo shoot at the Statue this weekend, they decided to go the ‘political’ route.... now I want to steam ahead and make the crowd even BIGGER...!"

Unfortunately the statue was only on temporary loan to the Port from out-of-area owners - a loan that was extended several times, we were supposed to return it a few years ago. It's a park in New Jersey's turn to host it for a while:

Well, I'm under the impression the statue was on loan and the owner wants it back...someplace up north. I think they should design a new statue; something that most of the sailors today would relate to....something like a sailor with a hooker in TJ.

For many who served, an experience like that is much more memorable than something that appeared back at the end of WWII. Plus, it would represent more of the cross-cultural experience, that San Diego offers.